My Workout Flow

There are two things that motivate me to hit the pavement and get some cardio in....

1.) New workout attire

2.) Good tunes

Music is soooo important for me. I actually make playlists for my runs depending on my mood. Sometimes, when I run to clear my head- I won't even listen to upbeat stuff to make me run faster... I listen to Ray Lamontagne/Jon Foreman/The xx/Bright Eyes and just enjoy  my time out of the house. I look around and make the exercise more leisure than anything else. It's the "clear your head" type of run/walk. 

When I really want to feel motivated though, which I imagine most people running and listening to music are looking for- I have a specific playlist- AND a list of order in listening to. I dunno, it makes me look forward to the end of some and beginning of others- the routine helps me prepare when to run harder/faster and when to cool down. Now, I am no expert runner, in fact- I am TERRIBLE. This is just what I like and it helps ME jog easier on the polluted streets haha. 

Ok, here goes! You can listen to them on youtube before you decide to drop any change on them in the itunes store- I know not many people like the same music as me- but this is a pretty general workout playlist! 

When I first start jogging... and am not really feeling it because I'm lazy/tired/creaky knees and all... I cruise to: 

The XX - "Intro"

I have a huge HUGE hill to walk up before I even start my jog (think 8 incline) so, this is just enough to get me going/excited to start. 

Side note: everyone has a soundtrack to their lives (break up songs, happy songs, favorite songs, etc... in my movie of life, the opening credits have me in an X6 cruising on some curvy mountainside roads  to this jam- I could totally see this song in a car commercial!)

This song makes me take longer strides but still jog at a normal pace- almost gazelle like haha. It's my warm up song and as soon as it is over, I'm usually ready to go! 

As soon as the xx stops playing, I'm excited to listen to this: 

Lissy Trullie - Ready For The Floor (Cover)

something about the repetitive, "do it now" makes me take the whole jogging seriously :) and glad that I DID "do it". (think "NIKE"... haha)

Once I am really starting to go, my next track is: 

Andrew Bird- Fake Palindromes

This song has the best beat that just makes you jog in tune with it. I love that there are some slow parts and I can catch my breath when I am on a "low" with him, and then when he turns it up, so do I! I used to use the treadmill at college with this on repeat and I would kill it. However, don't ask me about the lyrics-when you're busy trying to figure it out, you forget you're miserable jogging....!!!! That's my lyric disclosure haha. 

Once Mr. Bird has worn me out a bit, the minute I hear the steady drumbeat of these two twins, I know I am ready to do a cool down/steady walk. What I wouldn't give to be the triplet! Teagan & Sara & Sheila I think it goes, don't you?! 

Teagan & Sara - "Walking With a Ghost"

I think the name is so appropriate for the mere fact that it is my walking song. 

Another funny no pun intended title is the next song: 

Matt & Kim- "Block After Block"

This is when I'm like, ok, break's over- pick it back up but slowly, like the xx "intro", a steady jog/gazelle like jog haha block after block... trust me... it works. and the video just makes you happy. so if you just imagine the video happening in front of you- you totally forget you're jogging (not really.. haha) 

This is another song I catch my breath on and just enjoy a steady pace. It's still got a beat that my feet follow along with... ignore the video... in fact. don't watch it. You won't be watching it on your run :) - the actual MGMT one is worse. ha. 

MGMT - Kids

I wind down and head back home to this: 

Passion Pit - Take a Walk

It's a faster walk, another uphill incline one- so it's definitely with purpose haha. 

Sometimes, the only thing that gets me going (usually treadmills at the gym) is my dance cardio station... aka Ellie Goulding and all that jazzy stuff.